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Is being 'offended' really something the legal system should step in to prevent and punish someone for?

Victimisation, bullying, abuse, prejudice, hatred - yes, i can see why people need to be protected from these.

But pure and simple 'offence'...?

I'm offended every time I turn on the TV or go into Cardiff city centre and see all the chavs a-shopping. Should I be able to citizens arrest them and say 'I'm sorry but your mouth breathing ignorance has offended me'.

Shouldn't people just be willing to put up with a certain amount of intolerance, negativity, criticism towards them/their beliefs & values? As long as it doesn't spill over into harm and hatred...

incompatible with freedom of speech. There are so many areas that couldn't be discussed if you had to avoid offending everyone. I really despise people who are always voicing their offence at something or other. As long as someone isn't following you around screaming abuse in your face, don't get to tell them what they can and can't say.

"I'm offended every time I turn on the TV or go into Cardiff city centre and see all the chavs a-shopping. Should I be able to citizens arrest them and say 'I'm sorry but your mouth breathing ignorance has offended me'."

the Daily Mail is very much opposed to ignorance isn't it? It's core to its editorial policy to expose untruths and provide a balanced intelligent response to all issues it faces. People who spend their days slacking around shopping centres, or watching 'debates' on daytime TV on the other hand are pretty much the definition of a guardianista.

judging by the effects some laws have had on openly debating issues such as racism, immigration and prejucide it'd only be a disaster and be a sort of nanny state or big brother. Look at the U.S which is such a litigious society. There'd be no good in an offence law at all.

What I'd like to see is police back on the beat to reduce inner city crime and youth crime.

however when it is obvious that without particular reason someone continues to go out of the way to offend an individual, then shoudl that individual lamp the offender one, then there can be considered to be justification...............people should be slow to anger, but continual and deliberate annoyance with not reason is not acceptable.

PS this whole muslim/anti muslim thing is different, because it is rarely about hte individuals involved, it is more about the publicity surrounding high profile events and percieved generalisations about predjudices and wrongs associated with others who go by similar names or with a similar umberella